Card table top



May 21, 1935. w. J. NEVIUS CARD TABLE TOP Filed Jan. 12, 1935 J R H g .4E .VO m Wm MW 6 N a m c 5 N4 L [9 Q 5 -Z a Patented May 21, 1935 Wilford J. Nevins, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 12, 1935, Serial No. 1,584

7 Claims.

more particularly to a removable, portable top or unit for card tables, which unit is particularly designed for playing duplicate whist or bridge.

An important object of the invention is to provide a card table top wherein means are provided for housing within relatively small space any desired number of bridge hands in such manner that the respective hands are protected 0 and confined within the card table top and indefinitely preserved for play and replay by the same or other players as often as desired.

A further object is to provide a card table top of the character described wherein provision is made for storing the several bridge hands, each consisting of thirteen cards, in a plurality of closed compartments arranged in such manner as to be conveniently opened for access to the bridge hands, and which compartments when in closed position are flush or in horizontal alignment with the playing surface of the card table top so as to constitute in effect a continuous playing surf ace extending from edge to edge of the table.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable card table top which may be removably positioned on the ordinary or standard card table and which may be removed and stored on its side edge against the wall when not in use, without disturbing the arrangement of the playing hands stored therein.

The invention is of such nature that the stored hands are protected from dust or individual displacement, the said hands being capable of convenient removal from their stored position by raising the hinged covers of the respective compartments provided within the table top.

In playing duplicate card games it will be understood that any desired number of hands, each consisting of thirteen cards, are first shlifiied and stored in separated relation at each side of the table, to the end that as the hands are bid and played the score is recorded against or in favor of the partners who obtain the final contract. After play and score of a hand the latteris replaced in position in its proper location within the card table top for future bidding and playing by the opponents of the two players who first obtained the declaration and played the hand. Any desired number of hands may be progressively played, first by two persons and thereafter by their opponents, it merely being necessary to turn the card table top or shift the positions of the players in order to permit this to be done, the general idea of the duplicate game being to eliminate as much as possible the element of iuck or chance, and rate the various players on their respective bidding and playing abilities The invention relates to'card table tops andon a given set of cards constituting one or more playing hands.

Preferably the card table top is maintained in playing position with the north hand always in the same position, the respective compartments containing any desired number of pre-shuflied bridge hands. After a number of such hands have been played, the four players shift their positions so that the north and south hands formerly pla ,ed by a given two players will thereafter ben clared and played by their opponents. Usually the hands played by four players in set position are suflicient in number to eliminate or minimize the factor of memory so that when the first hand played in an evening for example is again played by the opponents of the first" players, the former bidding and play will not be re called by the players. This is also true of the particular score which was made in favor of either side as to a particular hand; and in this manner the players may score their games and be rated solely on their ability as card players and by their ability to diagnose the cards held by their opponents in view of the respective bids.

The nature and arrangement of the invention is such that any desired number of pre-shuflled playing hands, for example 24 for each of four players, may be conveniently stored within' a comparatively small space, thereby rendering it possible to construct the card table top with relatively small dimensions, for example not more than one inch overall depth. The thickness of the various compartments for containing the cards may be as small as one-half inch or less and this is of convenience not only in economical manufacture, but also in storing and playing a relatively large number of hands. The total number of hands, for example, which may be shuiiled and stored in the card table top may be sufficient for two or more evenings of continuous play without requiring re-shuflling of the cards, it merely being necessary to replace the hands after they have been played, in their proper compartments, which are numbered for convenience to determine the order of play of the hands.

A further object of the invention is to so combine the storing facilities for the playing hands with means for providing an ash tray or drinking glass compartment for each player so that the complete device is of a pleasing and ornamental nature. The major portion of the card playing surface of the table top may if desired be provided with dealing and scoring information with or without additional directions as to the manner and order of playing the hands.

With such objects in view, as well as other advantages which may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportion and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanatiori, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a. card table top constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a card table top constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown as comprising a central panel I preferably of sheet metal and which constitutes the major portion of the playing surface of the table top. This panel is bent downwardly to provide vertical walls 2, and thence horizontally outwardly to provide surfaces 3 which are offset vertically with respect to the panel I, (Fig. 3) thus providing an elongated recess at opposite sides of the playing surface. The outer edges of the surfaces 3 are in turn bent downwardly to provide flanges 4 adapted to engage without the side edges of the top of a card table of the usual type, indicated by broken lines at 5 (Fig. 1)

Trays 6 are suitably secured within the cut away corner portions resulting from the above described cruciform construction and these trays may be employed to receive drinking glasses, ash receivers or the like. The trays 6 are provided with upwardly extending side flanges I and downwardly extending side flanges 8, the latter being secured to and cooperating with the flanges l in maintaining the card table top against displacement from the table 5.

The surfaces 3 are provided with partitions 9 at spaced intervals so as to define a plurality of compartments I0 along each side of the playing surface. The partitions 9 are illustrated as each constructed of a strip of sheet metal bent upon itself and having oppositely extending lateral flanges II which are soldered, spot welded, or otherwise suitably secured to the downwardly offset surfaces 3.

A hinge wire or rod I2 extends through the several partitions 9 adjacent to the vertical walls 2 along each side of the table top and has its ends flxed in the vertical flanges I of the trays 6. Each of the compartments I8 is closed by means of a cover I3 having side flanges I4 and a front or outer flange I5, the former being pivotally mounted upon the hinge rod I2. The side flanges II of the several covers I3 frictionally engage the partitions 9 so as to prevent the covers from opening accidentally when the table top is stored on edge.

Also pivotally mounted upon the hinge rod I2 within each of the compartments I0 is a card holding and retaining receptacle I 6 having a bottom I! and side flanges I 8. Spring clips l9, 2| and 2I are secured to the surface 3 constituting the bottom of the compartments l0, bottom ll of the receptacle I6 and cover I3 so as to resiliently and respectively retain hands of cards in the bottom of the compartment III, receptacle l0 and within the cover I3 respectively. In the embodiment illustrated three hands, a, b, c, each consisting of thirteen pre-shuiiied cards, are resiliently held within each compartment I0, and are preferably played in order, but it will be understood that one or any desired number of playing hands may be disposed within each compartment.

When it is desired to play a particular hand, it is only necessary to swing the cover I3 vertically against the frictional resistance between the flanges I4 and partitions 9 to the position illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing and remove such hand from within the compartments I0, cover I3 of receptacle I6. Similarly it is possible to play at any time any particular hand by likewise swinging the particular cover bearing thereon the number of the hand to be played, without disturbing the other hands contained in the compartments. The spring clips I9, 20 and 2|, which grip the hands,- are numbered in agree- 1 ment with the inclusive numbers shown on cover I3. When the covers I3 are in closed position, they are disposed flush with the playing surface I and constitute in effect a continuation thereof. These covers may be numbered as illustrated so as to indicate the hands contained within the several compartments and the order in which they preferably should be played. Also, if desired the table may be provided with means, such as an arrow 22, indicating north in which position the top preferably should remain throughout the playing of the different hands. The playing surface I of the table top may also be provided with other suitable indicia of informatory character, such as scoring data and instructions as to how the different hands are to be played.

For convenience in playing the hands in predetermined order it may be advisable to provide identifying numerals also on; the spring clip members I9, 20 and 2I within each compartment. These numerals identify and correspond to the hands held by such spring clip members in each compartment, and further indicate, as I, 2, 3 etc., the preferred order in which the hands should be played.

For example, top spring clip member 2| may be provided with the numeral I in the first compartment, the intermediate spring clip member 20 with the numeral 2 and the lower spring clip member I9 with the numeral 3, thereby indicating that the hands are to be played from top to bottom in each compartment. It will be understood that in the succeeding compartments from left to right the corresponding spring clip members are further numbered in progressive order as indicated in the drawing on the covers of said compartments.

It will be understood that the above description of the numbering of the hands within the compartments and the order of playing applies equally to each of the four sides of the table.

Certain features of the invention may be employed advantageously without employing others, and the appended claims have therefore been drawn in such a way as to set forth various useful combinations, only the more specific of these claims beingdirected to a device including all of the features.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable card table top for duplicate games, comprising a substantially flat playing surface terminating in depending marginal flanges for removable engagement with the edge portions of a card table, the playing surface of the table being offset downwardly at opposite sides to provide recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, a plurality of card-containing compartments each having an outer wall and side flanges arranged in side by-side relation in said recesses, each compartment being pivotally mounted for swinging movement towards and away from its said recess, said outer wall of each compartment being disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said compartment is in closed position, and means within each of said compartments for yieldably retaining one or more groups of cards, each group constituting a hand to be played on the playing surface, the side flanges of said compartments preventing displacement of the cards therein when the table top is removed and in stored position on its edge.

2. A portable top for card tables comprising a substantially flat playing surface adapted for removable engagement with the edge portions 7 of a card table, the playing surface of the table having recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, a plurality ofcard-containing receptacles arranged in said recesses, each receptacle being pivotally mounted for swinging movement towards and away from its said recess, each of said receptacles having a wall disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said receptacle is in closed posi-.- tion, and means within each of said receptacles for retaining one or more groups of cards, each group constituting a hand to be played on the playing surface. I

3. A portable card table top for duplicate games, comprising a substantially flat playing surface flanges for removable engagement with the edge portions of a card table, the p y surface of the table having recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, a plurality of card-cona said compartment being disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said compartment is in closed position entirely within its said recess, and spring clip members within each of said compartments for retaining a plurality of groups of cards in separated relation, each group constituting a hand to be played on theplaying surface.

4. A portable, unitary, self-contained card table top for duplicate games, comprising a substantially flat playing surface terminating in depending marginal flanges for removable engage-' ment with the edge portions of a card table, the playing surface of the table being oifset downwardly at opposite sides to provide recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, a plurality of card-containing compartments having closed outer surfaces arranged in side by side relation in said recesses, each compartment .being pivotally mounted at its inner edge adjacent to said playing surface for swinging movement to-- wards and away from its said recess, a wall of a said compartment being disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said compartment is in closed position entirely within its said recess, and means within terminating in depending marginal.

opposed edges of the table. spaced partition members secured to said recesses and partially defining a plurality of card-containing compartments having cover members arranged in side by side relation between said partition members, each cover member being pivotally mounted at its inner edge adjacentto said playing surface for swinging movement towards and away from its said recess, a wall of a said cover being disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said cover is in closed position, and means-within each of said compartments for retaining one or more groups of cards, each group constituting a hand to be played on the playing surface.

6. A' portable table top for duplicate card games, comprising a substantially flat playing surface of sheet metal terminating in depending marginal flanges for removable engagement with the edge portions of a card table, the playing surface of said top being offset downwardly at opposite sides to provide recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, spaced partition members secured to said recesses and partially defining a plurality of card-containing compartments having cover members arranged in side by side relation between said partition members, each cover member being pivotally mounted at its inner edge adjacent to said playing surface for swinging movement towards and away from its said recess, a wall of a said cover being disposed flush with and constituting a continuation of said playing surface when said cover is in closed position, means within each of said compartments for retaining one or more groups of cards, each group constituting a hand to be played on'the playing surface, and means secured to the corner portions of the table top each adapted to support a drinking glass, ash tray or the like.

7. A portable table top for duplicate card games, comprising a substantially flat playing surface of sheet metal terminating in depending marginal flanges for removable engagement with the edge portions of a card table, the playing surface of said top being offset downwardly at opposite sides to provide recesses extending along opposed edges of the table, spaced partition members secured to said recesses and partially defining a plurality of card containing compartments having cover members arranged in side by side relation between said partition members, each cover member being pivotally mounted at its inner edge adjacent tosaid playing surface for swinging movement towards and away from its said recess, the side walls of each cover member frictionally engaging the immediately adjacent partition members to yieldably maintain said cover in closed position, and means within each of said compartments for retaining one or more groups of cards, each group constituting a hand to be played on the playing surface.

WILFORD J. NEVIUS. 

